New convenience center site explored

By Vicki Hyatt | Feb 06, 2013

A solution to long-standing safety concerns at the Haywood County convenience center on N.C. 209 may be nearing.

At a meeting Monday, the Haywood County Board of Commissioners authorized negotiations with BG&W, LLC, which owns property at the junction of Yates Cove and N.C. 209. County Manager Marty Stamey will handle the negotiation process.

A portion of the site, if purchased, could provide a safer trash disposal site for those in Iron Duff, Crabtree or Fines Creek communities.

“We’ve been looking for an alternative site that’s safer and more user friendly for several years,” said Commission Chairman Mark Swanger. “We identified this area as a possibility, but there’s still a lot of research needed.”

The area is in the flood plain and has been filled in, but questions remain as to whether it will meet regulatory requirements for a convenience center location.

The safety issues at the site arise not only because the location is too small, Solid Waste Director Stephen King explained in an earlier article in The Mountaineer, but because of the traffic pattern. Because only one-way traffic is allowed through the site, it creates the need for larger vehicles to pull into the other lane to make the turn. At times when the are several vehicles in line, the roadway is partially obstructed.

Motorists travel faster than they ought to down the straight slope approaching the site, authorities report, and numerous accidents have occurred in the area.

At present, the county operates 10 collection centers offering both household waste disposal and recycling. These are in addition to the Materials Recovery Center at Clyde where local residents can haul larger items such as furniture, electronics or appliances for disposal.